Apparatus for prefabricating masonry panels

ABSTRACT

A portable high strength erecting stand on which a plurality of panels of hollow blocks or the like may be prefabricated in faceto-face relationship at a construction site includes an inclined floor frame, inclined back frame, bracing assemblies, and a mortar dispenser which are easily assembled and disassembled to facilitate easy transportation. The erecting stand is particularly adapted for use in practicing the method of the present invention which includes assembling a panel of blocks with adhesive mortar, removing the panel to the structure being constructed, and pouring grout into passages in the blocks to complete the panel. A joint for positively joining adjacent panels into a structural assembly is easily made by utilizing alternating open and close ended blocks at the end of the panel and joining the panels with a cementitious filler which keys the panels together.

United States Patent 1 Behunin Aug. 20, 1974 APPARATUS FOR PREFABRICATING MASONRY PANELS [75] Inventor: Gage B. Behunin, Arvada, Colo.

[73] Assignee: Masonry Systems International, Inc.,

Denver, C010.

22 Filed: Jan. 7, 1972 211 App]. No.: 216,027

[52] US. Cl 156/349, 52/749, 156/556,

156/578, 248/371 [51] Int. Cl B32b 31/00 [58] Field of Search 156/556, 558, 580, 349;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,790,679 4/1957 Martindale 118/323 X 3,238,589 3/1966 McClarney 4 52/749 X 3,640,046 2/1972 Anderson et al. 52/749 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,028,318 5/1966 Great Britain 52/749 Primary ExaminerCharles E. Van Horn Assistant ExaminerDavid A. Simmons Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Burton, Crandell, Polumbus & Harris 5 7 ABSTRACT A portable high strength erecting stand on which a plurality of panels of hollow blocks or the like may be prefabricated in face-to-face relationship at a construction site includes an inclined floor frame, inclined back frame, bracing assemblies, and a mortar dispenser which are easily assembled and disassembled to facilitate easy transportation. The erecting stand is particularly adapted for use in practicing the method of the present invention which includes assembling a panel of blocks with adhesive mortar, removing the panel to the structure being constructed, and pouring grout into passages in the blocks to complete the panel. A joint for positively joining adjacent panels into a structural assembly is easily made by utilizing alternating open and close ended blocks at the end of the panel and joining the panels with a cementitious filler which keys the panels together.

14 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PAIENTmAuszonsu 3.830.678

sum 20: 3

APPARATUS FOR PREFABRICATING MASONRY PANELS The present invention is generally concerned with prefabricating construction panels of hollow blocks or the like and more specifically with a portable erecting stand on which a plurality of block panels can be prefabricated in face-to-face relationship at a construction site and a method of prefabricating the panels wherein the panels are assembled on the erecting stand and completed and joined together after they have been placed in the structure being constructed.

The construction industry has been revolutionized by the advent of prefabricated parts and panels. Until recently, these parts and panels were limited to wooden or concrete forms or wall sections. However, a recent trend in the construction industry has shown an increased interest in prefabricated panels of brick, block, tile or similar individual masonry units. Accordingly, several methods and apparatus for prefabricating panels of individual masonry units have been'developed. One such method and apparatus is disclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 192,027 which is directed to the prefabrication of brick panels in an assembly line operation within a prefabricating plant. Another method and apparatus for prefabricating brick or block panels in a prefabrication plant is disclosed in Austra lian Pat. No. 290,319, issued to Georges Schaeffer, on METHOD & EQUIPMENT FOR PREFABRlCATlNG FLAT STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS.

In the prefabrication of certain types of masonry unit panels, it is desirable to prefabricate the panels at the construction site rather than in a prefabricating plant. The most obvious advantage is the savings in trucking or shipping expense from the prefabricating plant to the construction site. However, to do a satisfactory job of prefabricating panels of individual masonry units at a construction site, an erecting apparatus is necessary to keep the masonry units appropriately aligned and held in place during operations and while the bonding medium is hardening. To avoid having to construct and subsequently abondon or destroy an erecting apparatus at each construction location, it is necessary that the erecting apparatus be portable and of a strong and durable material so that it can be transported from site to site. This is not a simple task, however, since the erecting stand must be large enough to support normal-sized construction panels which may be on the order of 8 feet X l2 feet, and strong enough to support the immense weight of these panels.

In addition, it is desirable that the erecting apparatus be large enough to support a plurality of the panels 50 that an adequate supply can be fabricated on one stand during a given time interval to satisfy the demand for the panels. It is well known that most bonding mediums used to unite masonry units are relatively slow in setting, so that to satisfy the demand for panels used in the construction of a given structure, a number of the .panels should be fabricated at approximately the same time so that they will be completely hardened and ready for use when an earlier fabricated supply of the panels-is exhausted. v

The erecting stand ily adapted for use at a construction siteand may be used to simultaneously fabricate a plurality of bonded masonry unit panels in face-to-face relationship. The erecting stand has been designed so that it is composed of a minimum number of high strength easily assembled appreciated from the detailed description hereinafter that the erecting stand of the present invention is not only portable but is structurally sound and provides the support necessary for the tremendous weight of a plurality of normal-sized panels of masonry units.

The erecting stand of the present invention is equipped with an adhesive mortar dispenser that can be moved to any location on the erecting stand so that panels of hollow blocks or the like can be very quickly and easily assembled on the erecting stand in accordance with the method of the present invention. The method of the present invention basically comprises assembling a panel of blocks using an adhesive mortar along the head and bed joints, i.e., along the vertical and horizontal joints, respectively, placing the bonded panel in position at the structure being constructed, placing reinforcing bars where desired, and filling the hollow passageways within the panel with grout. The result isa high strength panel which is in place when ycomplete but which was initially conveniently assembled on the erecting stand with a ready supply of block and adhesive mortar and moved to its position in. the

structure in a relatively light state before the grout was poured into the interior of thepanel. The panels are joined into a structural assembly while in place in the structure with a unique joint that keys adjacent panels together by the use of alternating open and closed end blocks at the ends of the panels. In addition, provision for expansion and contraction within the joint is possible with only a slight variation in the pattern of the blocks at the end of the panels. v

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a portable erecting stand which can beeasily transported between construction sites and on which a plurality of masonry unit'panels can be' fabricated in face-to-face relationship.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable erecting stand for masonry unit panels that can be quickly and easily broken down into a minimum number of component parts of manageable size for easy transportation between construction sites and which includes a mortar dispenser to facilitate'fabrication of panels on the erecting stand.

It is another object of the present invention toprovide an erecting'stand which is easily transportable yet has the strength required to support a plurality of normal-sized panels of block, brick,- or tile construction.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of fabricating block panels which includes the steps of assembling and bonding a panel of of the presentinvention is primarthe blocks at a convenient location, lifting the bonded panels into place in the'structure being constructed,

and filling the interior of the. panel with-a cementitiousmaterial. I I v [t is afurther'object of the present invention to pro vide a unique arrangement, of the masonry units'in the panel whereby panels can be keyed together into a structural assembly which is positively integrated.

It is still another object of the presentinvention to provide an expansive joint for joining adjacent panels whereby the joint is allowed to expand and contract without a loss in strength: Y

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become moreapparentas the description proceeds taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic isometric view of the front of the erecting stand of the present invention with parts broken away for clarity.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic isometric view of the rear of the erecting stand of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary isometric view illustrating the connection between the floor and back frames of the erecting stands of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4,is an enlarged sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary isometric view showing the reinforcement of the back frame of the erecting stand of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic isometric view of a block panel fabricated in accordance with the method of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary isometric view of a portion of the top of the panel of FIG. 6 with parts broken away for clarity and showing a connection to a vertical reinforcing rod of an adjacent panel.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged framentary partially exploded view of a joint between two adjacent block panels with parts broken away for clarity;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged horizontal, section taken through corresponding rows of blocks in adjacent panels joined together by an expansion panel joint of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged isometric view of block having adhesive mortar applied thereto with the dispenser of the erecting'stand of FIG. 1.

The erecting stand 10 of the present invention is preferably made of steel or some other strong and durable material and can be seen in FIG. I to include a floor frame 12 upon which panels 14 of masonry units, such as hollow blocks or the like, can be supported, an upright back frame 16 against which the panels can rest, back brace assemblies 18 for supporting the back frame. adjustable locking bars 20 for retaining the lower end of the back frame in position, a side frame 22 which provides a vertical plumb for panels being constructed on the erecting stand, and a mortar dispenser 23.

Referring in more detail to the floor frame 12, it can be seen in FIG. I to be an elongated wedge-shaped body with a flat upper surface inclining at a low angle rearwardly and downwardly forming an acute angle with horizontal so that the forward portion of the frame is higher than the rearward portion. The floor frame includes an upper support plate 24 which has downturned front and side flanges 26 and 28, respectively, andan upturned rear flange 30 forra purpose to be described later. The support plate 24 is disposed on and is supported by a plurality of elongated generally V- shaped supporting or reinforcing ribs 32 which extend longitudinally from the front edge of the support plate of the supporting ribs are substantially uniformly spaced along the length of the support plate 24. They are skip-welded to the support plate along their length so as to be firmly anchored, thereby preventing the ribs from spreading laterally with added weight on the support plate. The height of each supporting rib 32 is identical to the height of the downturned side flanges 28 of porting contact with the concrete bed to provide overall firm support for the support plate. It is desirable that the floor frame have a length at least as long as normal length wall sections, e.g., 12 feet, and a width which is large enough to support a plurality of face-to face panels, e.g.,-4 feet.

The back frame 16, is mounted at an acute angle to the vertical so that it inclines at a low angle rearwardly 1 and upwardly at right angles to the floor frame 12. The frame 16 includes a back plate 42 having rearwardly extending side and top flanges 44 and 46, respectively, vertical supports 48 (FIG. 2) and upper and lower spreader bars 50 and 52, respectively, for maintaining a fixed horizontal spacing between the vertical supports 48. The vertical supports in the disclosed embodiments are in the form of l-beams with the flanges 54 and 56 of the I-beams being on the front and rear sides, respectively, so that the front flange 54 abuts against the rear face of the back plate 42 in support thereof. The spreader bars 50 and. 52 extend horizontally across the rear flange 56 of the I-beams at two locations, the upper spreader bar 50 spaced a small distance from the upper end of the vertical l-beam supports 48 and the lower spreader bar'52 slightly below the longitudinal center of the I-beam's. The spreader bars are welded to r the I-beams to rigidify the back frame. The back plate 42 is in turn skip-welded to the vertical supporting I- beams along the length of each I-beam. To provide added strength and support for the back plate in the spaces between the vertical supporting I-beams, upper and lower sets of reinforcing bars 58 and 60, respectively, are welded at right angles to the topedge of the associated spreader bars and 52, respectively, so as to the rear thereof. The supporting ribs 32, which have upper edges 36 engaging the underside of the support plate, are designed to give maximum support to the support plate 24 with a minimum number of ribs so that best be described as having a V-shaped transverse cross section that diminishes in cross-sectional size from the front of the floor frame to the rear. The'upper edges 36 to extend between adjacent I-beams and abut against the rear face of the back plate 42. For strength and support between the I-beams near'the bottom of the back frame, a set of horizontal stiffeners 62 are welded to adjacent vertical I-beam supports 48 in a manner such that one longitudinal edge of each stiffener 62 abuts against the rear face of the back plate 42 for support thereof.

At the lower end of the I-bearn supports, the front and rear flanges 54 and 56, respectively, of the supports are removed defining an exposed web portion 64 (FIGS. 3 and 4) of the I-beam. The back plate 42 (FIG. 4) protrudes downwardly for a short distance beyond the point at which the front flange 54 of each I-beam has been removed so as to define a pocket 66 between the rear face of the back plate and the exposed web portion 64 of each of the vertical supporting I-beams, The pockets 66 are adapted to receive the uptumed rear flange 30 of the support plate 24 to releasably in-. terconnect the floor frame 12 and the back frame 16. The side flanges 44 of the back plate 42 are notched at 67 (FIG. 3) to define pockets for receiving the upturned flange 30.

An angle iron bottom piece 68 (FIG. 4) is welded to the lower end of each vertical supporting l-beam 48 so as to extend the entire width of the erecting stand. The upturned leg 70 of the bottom piece 68 provides a short vertical support for the rear side of the vertical supporting I-beams. A gap 72 is created between the upper edge of the upturned leg 70 of the bottom piece and the lower edge of the rear flange 56 of each of the I-beams, the gap serving a purpose to be described hereinafter.

The back frame 16 is supported in its substantially vertical position by the back brace assemblies 18 (FIG. 2) which are attached at their upper ends to the upper spreader bar 50 and at their lower ends to the concrete bed 38 at a location spaced from the bottom of the back frame. There is a back brace assembly 18 associated with each vertical supporting I-beam 48, and each back brace assembly is comprised of an elongated rod 76, an angle iron attachment bracket 78 welded to the upper end of the rod 76, and an anchor plate 80 welded to the lower end. The attachment bracket 78 at the upper end of each rod 76 is provided with two horizontally spaced openings adapted to align with predrilled corresponding openings in the upper spreader bar 50 whereby bolts 82 may be passed through the aligned openings to securely attach the upper end of the associated back brace assembly to the back frame. The anchor plate 80 at the lower end of each rod 76 has an opening adjacent its rearward end adapted to receive the upper threaded end of a bolt 84 which has been embedded in the concrete bed 38 so that the anchor plate can be securely attached thereto as by a nut 86. The forward end of the anchor plate 80 has a bolt 88 welded thereto with its threaded end up for attachment of a locking bar 20, as will be described hereinafter. It will be appreciated that, with the upper ends of the back brace assemblies securely attached to the back frame and the lower ends securely anchored to the concrete slab, the upper end of the back frame will be prevented from either forward or rearward movement as a result of forces being applied to its front or rear face.

The locking bars are provided to maintain a predetermined spaced relationship between the lower end of the back frame 16 and theanchor plates 80. The locking bars are comprised of inverted U-shaped channel bars having a slot 88' at the rearward end to adjustabIy receive the upstanding bolt 88 on the front portion of the anchor plate to permit limited adjustment of the angle formed between the floor and back frames. A longitudinal slot 90 (FIG; 3) in the forward end of each locking bar 20 is adapted to receive the exposed webbed portion 64 of the associated vertical supporting I-beam. Lugs 92 are welded to the sides of the locking bars 20 and are adapted to seat on the forward side of the upturned leg 70 of the bottom piece 68 so that the lower end of the back frame 16 cannot be moved forward when the locking bar is anchored to its associated anchor plate 80. The lower end of the back frame is prevented from rearward movement by the closed end of the slot 90 in the locking bar. I

The side frame 22 is comprised of a flat end plate 94 supported on its outer side by an angle-iron peripheral framework 96 skip-welded to the end plate around the perimeter thereof, as shown in FIG. 2. A vertical supporting I-beam 98 passing along the vertical center of the end plate and welded thereto gives added strength and prevents the end plate from buckling. The side frame 22 is attached to the floor frame 12 and the back frame 16 by bolts 100 which pass through pre-drilled aligned openings in the peripheral framework 96 of the side frame and in the side flanges 28 and 44 of the support plate and back plate respectively. To facilitate ready attachment of the side frame 22 to the floor frame 12 and back frame 16, supporting legs 102 and 104 are welded to the bottom of the side frame at the forward and rearward ends respectively, so that the side frame can be stood on the concrete bed 38 prior to being attached, and the openings in the peripheral framework 96 will align with the corresponding openings in the floor and back frames. As a further support, and to rigidify the side frame, a side brace assembly 106, identical to the back brace assemblies 74, is bolted to a spreader bar 108 which is' welded at one end to the vertical I-beam 98 and at the other to one side of the peripheral framework 96. The lower end of the side brace assembly 106 is anchored to the concrete bed as with an embedded bolt 110.

From the description so far, it can be seen that the erecting stand 10 of the present invention is of extremely stable and strong construction to withstand the tremendous weight of a plurality of panels of hollow blocks or the like fabricated in face-to-face relationship. It will be appreciated that, even though the floor and back frames 12 and 16, respectively, have large surface areas (the floor frame being approximately 12 feet X 4 feet and the back frame approximately 12 feet X 8 feet), they are adequately reinforced with specially designed ribbing to prevent buckling or collapse under the high pressures that may be exerted thereon by a plurality of panels. It will also be appreciated that the erecting stand is compact in that it does not occupy a large area of a construction site, yet is adapted for simultaneous fabrication of a plurality of panels. The rearward tilt of the erecting stand is helpful in the fabrication of block panels or the like since the weight of each block placed on the stand causes it to align itself along the inclined back plate while pressing downwardly against the support plate or the previous layer, so that a panel is formed with a minimum of work.

The dispenser 23, which was mentioned before as part of the erecting stand 10, is suspended from a horizontal swing arm 112 that includes a vertical extension 114 which is pivotally received in a sleeve 116 welded to the back frame 16 adjacent one end thereof. A bifurcated support 118 attached to the swing arm 112 is 5 adapted to hook onto integral loop portions 120 of the dispenser whereby the dispenser can be easily removed from the swing arm for filling and just as easily be repositioned when ready for use.

The dispenser includes a cylindrical tank or body 122 (FIG. 1) with a piston, not shown, disposed for longitudinal reciprocating movement therein. A flexible air hose 124 connected to a compressor or other compressed air supply (not shown) is attached to the dis penser so as to communicate with a chamber on one side of the piston. A chamber on the opposite side of the piston is adapted to receive a supply of bonding me-- dium or adhesive mortar such as of the type manufactured by Dow Chemical and distributed under the trademark THREADLINE. A flexible hose 126, preferably in the form of a clear plastic tube, communicates with the chamber for the adhesive mortar and has a dispenser gun or emitter 128 on its free end through which the adhesive mortar can be controllably emitted. The dispenser gun 128 is bifurcated or Y-shaped so as to have two emitting nozzles 130 and 132 spaced approximately the width of a normal hollow construction block. A butterfly type valve, not shown, is contained in the dispenser gun at its common connection to the free end of the hose 126 with a manually operable trigger 134 for regulating the rate of emission of the adhesive mortar. The end of the dispenser body 122 which retains the adhesive mortar has a removable cap 136 so that a supply of adhesive mortar can be easily poured into the dispenser when the cap is removed.

In operation, the compressed air in the tank 122 I maintains a pressure on one side of the piston so that the piston urges the mortar to flow into the flexible hose 126 and subsequently into the dispenser gun 128. The rate of emission of the adhesive mortar, as mentioned before, is controlled by the trigger 134 on the dispenser gun. The dispenser, therefore; provides an easy, convenient, and quick way of applying the adhesive mortar to the blocks and because of its swingable mounting can be moved to any location on the erecting stand.

An important feature of the erecting stand is the minimum number of its component parts which combine to give the necessary strength for supporting a plurality of face-to-face panels and the simple manner in which the parts can be assembled and disassembled for easy transportation between construction sites. To disassemble the erecting stand, the dispenser 23 and the swing arm 112 are removed from the stand. Then the connecting bars 20 are removed by unbolting from the anchor plate 80, lifting the bars so that the lugs 92 can slide over the upturned leg 70 of the bottom piece 68, and pulling the bars out of the gap 72 so that the exposed web portions 64 of the vertical l-beam supports are removed from the slots 90 in the connecting bars. Next the side brace assembly 106 is unbolted from the side frame 22 and the side frame unbolted from the back and floor frames so that the side frame can be lifted by crane or other lifting equipment onto the bed of a truck or other transporting vehicle. The upper end of the back brace assemblies 74 are then unbolted from the back frame so that the back frame can be lifted onto the truck bed. The back and side brace assemblies can then be unbolted from the concrete bed 38 and placed on the truck bed. Finally, the floor frame can be lifted onto the truck bed so that the entire erecting stand is ready for transportation to a new construction site. With the components placed flat on the truck bed, several of the erecting stands can be easily transported by the same truck. In fact the floor frames are designed so that the ribs 32 of two separate floor-frames can be meshed during transportation to save space. By reversing the above procedure, the erecting stand can be assembled just as easily.

The erecting stand is very useful in carrying out the method of the present invention wherein panels of masonry units, such as the hollow blocks illustrated, are first assembled with an adhesive mortar or the like. then the bonded panel removed to the structure being constructed and a cementitious filler such as grout poured into hollow passageways in the panels once in place. More specifically, in a preferred procedure for practicing the method of the present invention, a supply of hollow blocks generally designated 140 is conveniently positioned in a stack 141 adjacent an erecting stand 10 with the ends of the blocks in exposed alignment and within reach of the dispenser gun 128. Sheets of a plastic material, not shown, such as polyethylene, are then draped over the back frame 16 and the side frame 22 so as to cover the entire back plate 42 and end plate 94 respectively to prevent adhesive mortar placed on the hollow blocks from bonding the block panels to the erecting stand.

Before the blocks 140 are assembled on the erecting stand it has been found that, to expedite the procedure, adhesive mortar can be applied by the dispenser gun 128 to ends of a selected number of blocks whereby, when the blocks are assembled in a single row in endto-end relationship on the stand, the head joints 142 between the blocks will be made. Accordingly, after adhesive mortar has been applied to the ends of a selected number of stacked blocks, they are carried onto the erecting stand and placed in a first horizontal row against the back plate 42 with the first block having a clean end abutted against the end plate 94. The dispenser gun 128 is then used to spreadelongated beads of adhesive mortar 144 as shown in FIG. 10 along the two upper ridges of the blocks in the first row to form the bed joints 146 between blocks in the first and second rows. A second row of blocks 140 is then placed on the first row in staggered relationship so that each block in the second row overlaps a head joint 142 in the first row. Prior to forming the second row, the ends of the blocks in the second row preferably should have received an application of the adhesive mortar as with the first row so that, when the blocks were placed end-toend, the head joints 142 in the second row would be bonded together. It has been found that, while it is necessary that adhesive mortar be applied to every bed joint 146, the same is not true for every head joint 142, since the panel in this early stage of its erection only needs enough strength to hold together while being transferred from the erecting stand 19 to the structure being constructed. Most of the final panel strength is obtained when grout or another cementitious material is poured into the panel after it is in the structure, as

will be explained later. Consequently, when applying adhesive mortar to the ends of the blocks prior to placing them in rows on the erecting stand, the adhesive mortar need only be applied to selected rows between the head joints.

The above procedure is continued until the desired height and length of panel is completed. While the adhesive mortaron the first panel is hardening, a second panel can be assembled in face-to-face relationship to the first panel, care being taken to separate the panels as by a sheet of polyethylene to prevent the panels from being inadvertently bonded together. With the erecting stand 10 of the present invention, four to five such panels can be assembled on the stand at the same time. Additionally, if panels of a length greater than the length of the erecting stand are desired, a plurality of the stands can be clamped together or bolted together in end-to-end relationship'to allow for such length.

Several designs of hollow blocks are used in each panel so that reinforcing rods can be easily incorporated into each panel after it has been put in place in the structure and so that adjacent panels can be joined by the unique panel joint to be described hereinafter to form a structural assembly. The bulk of each panel is comprised of conventional rectangular shaped blocks 148 (FIGS. 6-8 and having two openings passing therethrough so that when they are assembled in staggered overlapping relationship, continuous vertical passages will be established through each panel. In alternating rows of each panel, an open-ended U-shaped half block 152 having one open end (FIGS. 6 and 8) is used at each end of the panel so that the ends of the panels will have alternating closed end blocks and open end blocks to aid in establishing a strong joint between panels, as will be explained later. The specific types of open and closed end blocks at the end of each channel is not critical to the creation of the strong joint, it is only the feature of discontinuous openings into the endmost vertical passage in a panel, which openings could be provided in any number of ways, that is important. The blocks in the uppermost row of each channel are provided with a longitudinal notch 154 (FIGS. 6 and 7) in the tops thereof so that a horizontal reinforcing rod 156 can be laid therein and held in place with grout after the panels has been placed in the structure. Similarly, any given row of blocks can be notched the same way or bored so that other horizontal reinforcing rods can be laid in the panel. For convenience, however, if a horizontal reinforcing rod is laid in any row other than the top row, it should be laid in place as the panel is being assembled and not after the panel has been positioned in the structure.

After a panel or a number of panels have been assembled on the erecting stand, lifting hooks 158 in the form of reinforcing rods with hooked upper ends may be positioned in at least two of the vertical passages in each panel. Grout may then be poured into the passages having the lifting books 158 to anchor the hooks to the panel. The hooked end of each lifting hook is seen to be within the confines of the longitudinal notch 154 in the upper row of blocks so that the hook will not be an obstruction when another panel is set on top thereof. After the grout has hardened, a crane or some other type of lifting equipment can easily transfer the assembled panel to its position in the structure being constructed. Once the panel is positioned in the structure, vertical reinforcing panels 160 are inserted into vertical passageways in the panel at any desired or required spacing and thehorizontal reinforcing rod 156 is laid in the longitudinal notch in the top row of blocks.

Before joining adjacent panels with the improved joint of the present invention, U-shaped tie bars 162 are laid in the openings of selected ones of the openended blocks 152 so that a vertical reinforcing rod 160 in the endmost vertical passage of the panel can be threaded through the tie bars 162 in a manner such that the open ends of the tie barsprotrude out and open away from the panel. In this way, when an adjacent panel having an identical end pattern of alternating open end and closed end blocks is moved into abutting end-to-end relationship, the open ends of the tie bars 162 will protrude into open endblocks 152 in the adjacent panel so as to straddle a vertical reinforcing rod 160 in the endmost vertical passage of that panel.

With adjacent panels in place in the structure, grout or other cementitious material is poured or injected from above into each vertical passage of the panels to complete and give full strength to each panel. The grout will fill the longitudinal notch 154 to anchor the horizontal reinforcing rod 156 and of course each vertical reinforcing rod 160 will be anchored in place whereby each panel will be desirably reinforced.

At the joint between adjacent panels designated A and B in FIGS. 8 and 9, the grout 164 will occupy the endmost vertical passage of each panel and in the rows having the open-ended blocks 152, the grout in adjacent panels will flow together thereby uniting the panels. It will be appreciated that the closed end blocks 148 at the ends of the panels serve to key the panels together since the grout in the endmost passage in these blocks is continuous and in common with the grout in the endmost passage of the corresponding block of the adjacent panel and with the grout in the open ended blocks 152. It will, therefore, be understood that the panels are positively locked together by the grout which is common in passages of both panels, by the closed end blocks keying the two panels together, and by the tie bars 162 which are embedded in the grout and extend into corresponing open-ended blocks in the adjacent panels.

In an expansion joint shown in FIG. 9, incorporating the principles of the previously described joint, one end of each panel would be formed as shown in FIG. 6 with alternating open and closed end blocks 152 and 148 respectively and the opposite end would be provided with all open ended blocks 152 whereby a continuous vertical channel 168 would be created in the end of the panel. The vertical channel 168 would be lined with a material 170 to which grout will not adhere such as celotex, a material marketed by Celotex Corporation of America. Adjacent panels would be placed in end-toend relationship so that an end with alternating open and closed end blocks would face an end with a continuous vertical channel 168. A vertical reinforcing rod would be inserted into the endmost vertical passage 172 of the panel with the alternating end blocks, a vertical reinforcing rod 160 inserted into the vertical channel 168, and grout. not shown, poured into both the vertical passage and the vertical channel so as to flow into one continuous core of grout. The grout core will be keyed to the panel having the alternating end blocks and will be spaced from the walls of the vertical channel of the other panel by the non-adhering material. ln thismanner, temperature influenced expansion and contraction of the panels will be compensated for by slippage between the non-adhering material and either the grout or the masonry blocks to prevent cracking of the panels.

It will also be appreciated with this type of joint that the length of the panels can be easily shortened within limits when necessary by cutting off a portion of the vertical channel and leaving enough depth to the channel to make the joint as hereinbefore described.

Accordingly, a method and apparatus for'fabricating panels of masonry units including novel joints for joining adjacent panels has been disclosed. It will be appreciated that the method and apparatus as primarily adapted for use at a constructionsite rather than in a prefabricating plant and would materially reduce time and labor expenses currently existing in the construction industry for on-the-site fabrication of construction panels.

Although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example and that changes in details of structure may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. An erecting stand upon which a plurality of faceto-face masonry unit panels can be fabricated comprising in combination, a floor frame resting directly on a supporting surface, a back frame normal to the floor frame, and bracing means for stabilizing the back frame, said floor frame having a base plate spaced from the supporting surface of a width sufficient to support a plurality of face-to-face panels of conventional masonry units and including supporting ribs affixed to the base plate and extending along said supporting surface substantially the entire width of said base plate in the space between the supporting surface and the base plate to provide direct support for the base plate said base plate being inclined relative to horizontal and the supporting surface of said back being inclined relative to vertical, and said supporting ribs being angled so as to provide continuous support along their length for the base plate with respect to the supporting surface.

2. The erecting stand of claim 1 wherein said bracing means include bracing rod means having an upper end secured to the back frame and a lower end anchored to the supporting surface in spaced relation from the bottom of said back frame.

3. The erecting stand of claim 2 further including connector means for maintaining a fixed spacing between the lower end of said bracing rod means and the bottom of said back frame.

4. The erecting stand of claim 1 further including a side frame normal to said floor frame and back frame to serve as a vertical guide for the end of a panel being fabricated on the erecting stand.

5. The erecting stand of claim 4 further including a bracing assembly for stabilizing. the side frame.

6. The erecting stand of claim 5 wherein said side frame is secured to the floor and back frames and wherein said bracing assembly includes bracing rod means having an upper end secured to the side frame and a lower end anchored to the supporting surface in spaced relation from the bottom of said side frame.

7. An erecting stand upon which a plurality of faceto-face masonry unit panels can be fabricated comprising in combination, a floor frame resting directly on a supporting surface, said floor frame having a base plate spaced from the supporting surface and inclining downwardly from front to rear, elongated supporting ribs extending from front to rear of said base plate in continuous engagement with both the base plate and the supporting surface, a back frame releasably attached to a rear portion of said floor frame so as to extend upwardly and normally away from said base plate, said back frame including a back plate and reinforcement means to support said back plate, bracing means inclined relative to said back frame and having an upper portion connected to the back frame and a lower portion connected to said supporting surface, rigid connector bars connected to said lower portion of the bracing means and to a lower portion of the back frame, and a mortar dispenser mounted on a swingable arm pivotally connected to said back frame whereby said dispenser can be moved to various positions on said erecting stand for use in facilitating fabrication of masonry unit panels on the erecting stand.

8. An erecting stand upon which a plurality of faceto-face masonry unit panels can be fabricated comprising in combination, a floor frame resting directly on a supporting surface, a back frame normal to the floor frame, bracing rod means having an upper end secured to the back frame and a lower end anchored to the supporting surface in spaced relation from the bottom of said back frame for stabilizing the back frame, and connector means for maintaining a fixed spacing between the lower end of said bracing rod means and the bottom of said back frame, said floor frame having a base plate spaced from the supporting surface of a width sufficient to support a plurality of face-to-face panels of conventional masonry units and including supporting ribs affixed to the base plate and extending along said supporting surface substantially the entire width of said base plate in the space between the supporting surface and the base plate to provide direct support for the base plate.

9. An erecting stand upon which a plurality of faceto-face masonry unit panels can be fabricated comprising in combination, a floor frame resting directly on a supporting surface, a back frame normal to the floor frame, bracing means for stabilizing the back frame, a side frame normal to said floor frame and back frame to serve as a vertical guide for the end of a panel being fabricated on the erecting stand, and a bracing assembly for stabilizing the side frame, said side frame being secured to the floor and back frames, and said bracing assembly including bracing rod means having an upper end secured to the. side frame and a lower end anchored to the supporting surface in spaced relation from the bottom of said side frame, said floor frame having a base plate spaced from the supporting surface of a width sufficient to support a plurality of face-toface panels of conventional masonry units and including supporting ribs affixed to the base plate and extending along said supporting surface substantially the entire width of said base plate in the space between the supporting surface and the base plate to provide direct support for the base plate. v

10. The erecting stand of claim 1 including dispensing means for dispensing a bonding material so that masonry units being assembled on the erecting stand can be given an application of the bonding material from the dispensing means as a panel is being fabricated.

11. The erecting stand of claim 10 wherein said dispensing meansincludes a pressurized tank for retaining a supply of bonding material and an emitter through which the material can flow in a controlled manner directly onto the masonry units.

12. The erecting stand of claim 11 wherein said dispensing means is attached to a swingable arm whereby the dispensing means can be conveniently positioned on the erecting stand to facilitate ready fabrication of masonry unit panels.

13. The erecting stand of claim 12 wherein said swingable arm is pivotally attached to the back frame.

ber so that the emitter can be moved to various locations without movement of the. tank. 

1. An erecting stand upon which a plurality of face-to-face masonry unit panels can be fabricated comprising in combination, a floor frame resting directly on a supporting surface, a back frame normal to the floor frame, and bracing means for stabilizing the back frame, said floor frame having a base plate spaced from the supporting surface of a width sufficient to support a plurality of face-to-face panels of conventional masonry units and including supporting ribs affixed to the base plate and extending along said supporting surface substantially the entire width of said base plate in the space between the supporting surface and the base plate to provide direct support for the base plate said base plate being inclined relative to horizontal and the supporting surface of said back being inclined relative to vertical, and said supporting ribs being angled so as to provide continuous support along their length for the base plate with respect to the supporting surface.
 2. The erecting stand of claim 1 wherein said bracing means include bracing rod means having an upper end secured to the back frame and a lower end anchored to the supporting surface in spaced relation from the bottom of said back frame.
 3. The erecting stand of claim 2 further including connector means for maintaining a fixed spacing between the lower end of said bracing rod means and the bottom of said back frame.
 4. The erecting stand of claim 1 further including a side frame normal to said floor frame and back frame to serve as a vertical guide for the end of a panel being fabricated on the erecting stand.
 5. The erecting stand of claim 4 further including a bracing assembly for stabilizing the side frame.
 6. The erecting stand of claim 5 wherein said side frame is secured to the floor and back frames and wherein said bracing assembly includes bracing rod means having an upper end secured to the side frame and a lower end anchored to the supporting surface in spaced relation from the bottom of said side frame.
 7. An erecting stand upon which a plurality of face-to-face masonry unit panels can be fabricated comprising in combination, a floor frame resting directly on a supporting surface, said floor frame having a base plate spaced from the supporting surface and inclining downwardly from front to rear, elongated supporting ribs extending from front to rear of said base plate in continuous engagement with both the base plate and the supporting surface, a back frame releasably attached to a rear portion of said floor frame so as to extend upwardly and normally away from said base plate, said back frame including a back plate and reinforcement means to support said back plate, bracing means inclined relative to said back frame and having an upper portion connected to the back frame and a lower portion connected to said supporting surface, rigid connector bars connected to said lower portion of the bracing means and to a lower portion of the back frame, and a mortar dispenser mounted on a swingable arm pivotally connected to said back frame whereby said dispenser can be moved to various positions on said erecting stand for use in facilitating fabrication of masonry unit panels on the erecting stand.
 8. An erecting stand upon which a plurality of face-to-face masonry unit panels can be fabricated comprising in combination, a floor Frame resting directly on a supporting surface, a back frame normal to the floor frame, bracing rod means having an upper end secured to the back frame and a lower end anchored to the supporting surface in spaced relation from the bottom of said back frame for stabilizing the back frame, and connector means for maintaining a fixed spacing between the lower end of said bracing rod means and the bottom of said back frame, said floor frame having a base plate spaced from the supporting surface of a width sufficient to support a plurality of face-to-face panels of conventional masonry units and including supporting ribs affixed to the base plate and extending along said supporting surface substantially the entire width of said base plate in the space between the supporting surface and the base plate to provide direct support for the base plate.
 9. An erecting stand upon which a plurality of face-to-face masonry unit panels can be fabricated comprising in combination, a floor frame resting directly on a supporting surface, a back frame normal to the floor frame, bracing means for stabilizing the back frame, a side frame normal to said floor frame and back frame to serve as a vertical guide for the end of a panel being fabricated on the erecting stand, and a bracing assembly for stabilizing the side frame, said side frame being secured to the floor and back frames, and said bracing assembly including bracing rod means having an upper end secured to the side frame and a lower end anchored to the supporting surface in spaced relation from the bottom of said side frame, said floor frame having a base plate spaced from the supporting surface of a width sufficient to support a plurality of face-to-face panels of conventional masonry units and including supporting ribs affixed to the base plate and extending along said supporting surface substantially the entire width of said base plate in the space between the supporting surface and the base plate to provide direct support for the base plate.
 10. The erecting stand of claim 1 including dispensing means for dispensing a bonding material so that masonry units being assembled on the erecting stand can be given an application of the bonding material from the dispensing means as a panel is being fabricated.
 11. The erecting stand of claim 10 wherein said dispensing means includes a pressurized tank for retaining a supply of bonding material and an emitter through which the material can flow in a controlled manner directly onto the masonry units.
 12. The erecting stand of claim 11 wherein said dispensing means is attached to a swingable arm whereby the dispensing means can be conveniently positioned on the erecting stand to facilitate ready fabrication of masonry unit panels.
 13. The erecting stand of claim 12 wherein said swingable arm is pivotally attached to the back frame.
 14. The erecting stand of claim 11 wherein said emitter and said tank are connected by a flexible hose member so that the emitter can be moved to various locations without movement of the tank. 